Copa America 2024: History of host nations over the years before the tournament before Argentina vs. Canada

Copa America is the oldest international football tournament in the world, but with a rich legacy over the years.

Historically, the Copa America has been contested by teams under CONMEBOL’s registered national federations, of which there are currently ten. All of these teams are eligible for automatic qualification and since the league’s rebranding in 1975, there has only been one occasion where one of these teams has missed a tournament. In 2001, Argentina withdrew due to disagreements over planning and security.

However, unlike UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) and the CAF (Confederation of African Football), CONMEBOL (South American Football Confederation) does not have that many member states and therefore sometimes finds it difficult to conduct lengthy consultations. continental competitions such as the European Championships, the Africa of Nations and the Asian Cup.

It is for this reason that over the years CONMEBOL has invited host countries to participate in the tournament and sometimes even host the competition.

The US, host to the upcoming 2024 edition, and Mexico were the first countries outside CONMEBOL to be invited in 1993. Afterwards, countries such as Qatar, Japan, Mexico and Panama were invited to play in the Copa America.

Mexico was a host country with the most appearances with eleven, while the United States was in second place with five appearances.

List of Copa America invitees over the years